How Sweet and Wonderful Life Can Be
by ladycobert
Summary: Harry, Erica, and Zoe get caught in a snowstorm on Harry's February birthday. Set after SGG.
1. A man of hidden interests

They hadn't been going out very long. Erica found it somewhat hilarious to find herself using that particular phrase with a couple their age. Somehow it didn't seem strange with Julian; of course, he'd been a solid twenty years younger than she.

But here she was, "going out" with Harry. And they were in love – at least of that she was quite certain.

This particular night, Harry's birthday, he had invited both Erica and Zoe over for dinner. He would have invited Marin and her husband as well, but they'd both had work commitments.

"Are you sure you want my sister here for your birthday?" Erica whispered as she helped Harry set the table, going behind him and straightening the silverware.

He paused and grinned at her. "I like your sister. She's… entertaining."

Erica couldn't help grinning back at him, never able to block the spell his smile wove over her. "Entertaining? Is that what you call it?"

Harry sidled up to her, wrapping his arms around her and patting her bottom. "Yes." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before breaking away and giving her behind a final swat. "Now, if you're finished micromanaging my dinner table, we might join her in the living room for drinks." He walked to the door and turned, holding his hand out for hers.

Tilting her head to the side, Erica bit her lip as her eyes crinkled with a wide smile. She glanced over the dinner table one last time and moved to fix one of the place settings.

"Erica…" Harry chastised, drawing her name out, his eyebrows raised.

"I can't help it," she replied, but she left the place setting untouched, taking his hand instead.

They walked down the hallway together, and Harry swept his eyes over her. "I'm happy to see you've left the turtleneck at home, sweetheart."

Erica shook her head at his smirk, laughing lightly. She'd selected her attire with great care that evening, a navy blue wrap dress, very simple, but with a neckline that plunged a bit – which she knew he liked. "Well, after all, it _is_ your birthday."

"Indeed." He stopped there, since they'd reached the living room.

Zoe stood up from the couch and advanced on the couple. "I was just admiring your books, Harry," she said, letting him kiss her on the cheek. "I hadn't realized you were so well-read."

"Well, I am a man of hidden interests, apparently. Drink?" He released Erica's hand to walk over to the small bar in a corner of the room.

"White wine?" Zoe glanced at her sister. The woman practically glowed.

"Pinot Grigio alright?" Harry pulled out a white wine glass.

Zoe nodded and stepped closer to the bookshelves.

Uncorking the bottle of wine, Harry asked, "Erica? What would you like?"

"Oh, I'll have the same as Zoe." She flashed him a wide smile before joining her sister.

"So?" Zoe inquired in a low whisper. "Do you think this is going anywhere?"

"Zoe, I'm not looking for it to go anywhere. I'm just enjoying the moment." They faced away from Harry, ostensibly to study the titles in front of them.

Rolling her eyes in an exaggerated manner, Zoe harrumphed, "Erica Jane Barry, you've never been one just to 'enjoy the moment'."

"Well, I am now," Erica flung at her out of the corner of her mouth, becoming annoyed. "I'm happy and expectations simply confuse matters. The fact that he wants me – and only me – is enough."

Zoe smirked. "I can see that you're happy. But I thought it was just all the sex."

Rounding on her, eyes wide, Erica hissed, "Zoeeee!"

Her sister chuckled, shrugging.

Harry brought the drinks over to them. "Am I interrupting something, ladies?"

Erica turned a smile on him, recovering quickly and accepting one of the wine glasses. "Of course not, Harry." She shot Zoe a withering stare and gulped down a large drink of wine.

"Just sisterly chitchat." She raised her brows at Erica with a wide grin and took the other glass from Harry.

Putting up his hands, Harry backed away from them. "I'm staying out of the line of fire." He grinned and went over to the bar to pour himself a Scotch.

Zoe winked at Erica. "Probably wise."

Snaking a hand over, Erica pinched Zoe on the arm, her lips pursed together.

Her sister merely applied the cold glass to the pinch and chortled before wandering back over to a chair and sitting down.

Harry went to the couch and stood with an arm extended, indicating the place next to him. "Erica?"

His face had taken on that utterly adorable look of his, where his head tilted down slightly and his eyes softened along with the curl of his grin. Biting her lip again, her cheeks stained with a faint flush, Erica sat on the couch, smiling even wider when he dropped down next to her and took her hand.

"Isn't this nice?" he remarked, looking between Erica and Zoe. "It's a shame Marin and Danny couldn't make it, but I like this too." He sipped his drink contentedly, leisurely wringing Erica's hand a moment before twining his fingers around hers more earnestly and settling his eyes upon her face.

Zoe nursed her wine and surreptitiously watched the two. After a little while, she wondered if they even remembered she was there, enwrapped in one another's gaze as they were. She grinned to herself. Zoe would admit to being the first to push her sister toward the younger doctor. But it was only because Julian had been so keen on Erica from the moment he'd met her. Now that she saw Harry and Erica this way, however, she would be only too willing to admit that they were a much better fit.

Harry complemented Erica in a way Julian never could. Whereas Julian encouraged Erica to become more adventurous, to allow her harsh edges to soften, Erica remained the dominant party in the relationship. Zoe never thought that was good for her. Harry, on the other hand, acknowledged Erica's nature completely – even loved her for it – but didn't allow her to get away with anything, to boss him around completely. He challenged her, in the most positive ways, and helped her see her strengths as well as her weaknesses, without asking her to change herself in any way. But because of that, she did change – she did become softer, more adventurous, more playful.

It made Zoe admire Harry all the more. And certainly Erica had brought out a side of Harry that no one ever imagined existed; Zoe suspected that the one most astonished by it was Harry himself. She had to confess that even she could see him give himself up to it. Coming to the bottom of her glass, she set it down beside her and crossed her arms, her eyes still trained upon them.

Despite what she'd teasingly said to her sister earlier, Zoe knew what she saw unfolding in front of her wasn't just about sex.


	2. It defies explanation

Dinner went better than Erica expected. She watched and laughed as Zoe teased Harry about dying in Erica's play "A Woman to Love." And Harry took it all in stride.

In fact, Erica had found it necessary to kill off Harry's character, Henry, in the play. She thought that perhaps she could bury her feelings for Harry along with his fictional counterpart.

For a while, it seemed to work. But when Harry had shown up at Le Grand Colbert ahead of Julian…. Well, it was obvious that she'd either done a poor job with the burial or there'd been a resurrection of spectacular proportions. Not that it mattered. It had mattered that he was there, and she couldn't tamp down the feelings anymore, even with Julian present.

In a way, she'd been glad that she couldn't. To pretend she felt less for Harry than she did would have been unfair to Julian – unfair to all of them. So Julian had sent her into Harry's arms. And she hadn't looked back.

Did she have reservations? Of course she did. As a rational woman, she would have to. Harry was a confirmed – notoriously and infamously confirmed – bachelor. And he'd already broken her heart once before.

But what she'd told Marin was true. She had opened herself up, had the time of her life. And now she opened herself up to it again. Somehow, this time, despite her reservations, she had faith in him. Something in the way he looked at her this time around reassured her, calmed her.

And, boy, was she having a good time.

Erica realized she'd lost the thread of the conversation. She pulled her attention back to her sister and Harry in time to hear him saying, "…know that Danny was right. It does get a big laugh. But all Erica's plays are brilliant."

Shaking her head, Erica peered at him. "What can you mean by that? Have you even seen them? If you haven't, I'm not sure that's not just empty flattery."

Harry looked stricken. "That hurts, Erica. You know I don't do empty flattery."

"Well then?"

Zoe's head bounced from one to the other, a grin curling the corners of her mouth.

"You might remember that I traveled around quite a bit finding all those old girlfriends last year?"

Erica nodded, waiting.

Putting out a hand, palm up, gesturing, Harry gave half a shrug. "I had a lot of time on my hands – planes, trains, so forth. I had Leo dig up all the transcripts to your plays, whether published or unpublished. He's very good at that sort of thing; one of the reasons I keep the guy around. Anyway, I even saw a few of them; he found them on video."

"You read all my plays?" Erica stared at him, slightly dazed.

Harry coughed and cast his eyes to the table, pushing his plate back. "It made me feel closer to you."

Zoe's mouth fell open. "Harry Sanborn, are you _blushing_?"

Biting her lip and grinning when she saw that Harry's face indeed had infused with a faint flush, Erica covered his other hand where it rested on his thigh under the table with hers. He raised his eyes and smiled at her in a way that melted her heart.

A low chuckle interrupted their silent communication. Erica's mood was too light to chastise her sister, though. She turned and cocked her head at Zoe. "Is there something wrong with a man blushing?"

"God, no. It's just I can see so clearly that you two have got it _bad_ for each other." She shook her head, her unruly curls whirling about her ears. "It defies explanation."

Harry chuckled as well. "I know it's hard to believe, given my past. But I can – and will – admit that I've finally found love. As sappy as I might have thought that sort of thing in the past." He glanced at Erica. "I was wrong though; it's not sappy. It's wonderful."

Erica tightened her hold on his hand, her breath hitching as he focused upon her and wove his fingers with hers. He liked to do that, she'd noticed. As if simply holding her hand weren't quite enough. He wanted the intimacy of their fingers being intertwined, reminiscent of how their limbs became intertwined during other intimate moments.

And now Erica blushed, thinking such thoughts.

Nothing escaped Zoe, but she decided not to comment this time, letting it go with a smirk. "So, did that cook of yours leave us any dessert? It _is_ your birthday, Harry."

"Of course she did," Erica intoned, shifting her weight in order to stand.

"No, no, I'll get it." Harry squeezed her hand.

"Nonsense," Erica said. "You should sit right here while I get it." She stood and bent down to kiss him lightly. She smiled and unwound her fingers from his.

"I'll help." Zoe jumped up and followed her sister into the kitchen.

Erica busied herself uncovering the cake and finding dessert plates and forks.

"God, you guys are so adorable, I think I'm going to vomit."

Drawing her brows together, Erica sent Zoe a malicious glare. "That's hardly complimentary."

"Well, I'd be vomiting rainbows, if that makes you feel any better. He's unmistakably smitten. Which I didn't think was possible."

"Even less complimentary," Erica muttered, putting birthday candles in the cake. After a moment, she looked up. "Zoe, didn't you say you would help? Don't just stand there and irritate me."

Shrugging, Zoe picked up the plates, forks, and serving knife. "I only meant that it's nice to see you happy for once, Erica. It's been a long time." With that, she left the room to set the table for dessert.

Erica sighed, then let herself smile. She _was_ happy.

Zoe had flipped the dimmer switch down low, so Erica's face glowed in the candlelight when she entered with the cake. Of course, the cake didn't have sixty-four candles, but a large number adorned the dessert. Harry smiled at the sisters as they sang "Happy Birthday" to him – in French, no less.

Closing his eyes momentarily, Harry then opened them to rest upon Erica as he blew out his candles. He knew his wish for the next year.

The three enjoyed cake and dessert wine and conversation for another hour or so, completely content. Then, Zoe stood.

"I have a class to teach in the morning, so I should go."

Harry got up as well. "Are you sure? It's still early."

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to intrude upon your evening together anyway." She winked at Erica.

"You wouldn't be, Zoe. We're happy for you to stay as long as you like." Harry turned to Erica. "Aren't we?"

"Of course we are. Don't go on our account, Zoe."

"No, no. I still have a few papers to grade, so I'll go. You two can stay put. I'll see myself out." Zoe grinned and walked over to Harry, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Happy Birthday. Thanks for having me over."

"Thank you. I'm glad you joined us."

"Goodnight, Erica," Zoe said, waving to the pair and strolling out the door.

Harry looked over at Erica, a smirk upon his lips. "You're not going too, are you?"

"Well, given that Zoe was my ride here, I guess not." She returned his smirk with one of her own.

"Sleepover?"

"Absolutely."

"Did you bring your pj's?"

"Nope."

"Even better." He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, threading his free hand through her hair.

The two of them nearly jumped at the cough from the doorway. They broke apart, Erica turning a concerned glance upon Zoe.

"I guess I won't be going after all." She went to the window and pulled the curtain aside, revealing a heavy snow falling. "My car's completely covered in snow."


	3. Looks like a surprise blizzard

Erica stood and let out a nervous laugh. "Surely you're exaggerating, Zoe. It wasn't supposed to snow _that_ much." She left the dining room and descended the stairs to the foyer. Looking out the window, she beheld Zoe's car, snow reaching up over her tires. Drifts had formed on the sidewalks, and the streets looked thick with snow. And it showed no signs of letting up.

"See?" came Zoe's voice from the top of the stairs. She began pulling off her gloves and peeling away her coat.

Placing her hand on the banister, Erica went back upstairs, sidling past Zoe on her way to the living room. There she switched on the television, where an emergency weather newscast was airing. Harry and Zoe joined her within a few moments.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, standing next to Erica in front of the flat screen and squinting his eyes at it.

Zoe threw her coat over the back of a chair and flopped down as well, loosening her scarf and pushing her hair back behind her shoulders. "Looks like a surprise blizzard."

Erica stared at the screen, but saw Harry squinting out of the corner of her eye. "Glasses," she said, flicking a hand toward his shirt pocket where his reading glasses resided.

"Stop fussing, Erica." But he twitched the glasses out of his pocket and sat them upon his nose.

They watched the news for several moments, being told that much of the city was closing down due to bad roads and some power outages. Erica gasped. "Marin!" She practically ran to the coffee table where she'd left her cell phone, punching in Marin's speed dial code, her hands trembling.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Harry said softly, walking over and prying the remote from her hand to turn the volume down on the television.

Zoe unzipped her snow boots and left them on the floor in front of the chair, tucking her feet under her while Erica listened to the phone ring.

"Marin! Marin, honey, are you alright?" Panic mingled with relief in Erica's voice, and Harry put a hand on her arm. She listened for a few seconds, then breathed a real sigh of relief. "Wait, let me put you on speaker." She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it, moving it away from her face.

"Here, let me," Harry said, his glasses being still perched on his nose. He pressed the button for her.

"So you made it home?" Erica asked Marin.

"_Yes, Mom. About an hour ago, before it got bad. Dad's already called to check on me."_

"We just noticed the storm. And Danny?" Erica's hands still shook a bit.

"_He's here too. He walked in not long after I did. He's lighting candles; our power went out just before you called."_

"Do you have enough food?" Erica felt Harry's hand squeeze her arm comfortingly.

"_Yes, Mom. We're fine. I'll eat some of the stuff that would go bad if the power's out too long. Good thing I'm hungry all the time."_ Marin's chuckle rang through the phone.

"Well, I'm just happy that you're both at home and Danny can take care of you."

"_Mom, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. Hey, how'd the dinner go? We hated to miss it!"_

Harry spoke toward the receiver. "It went well, Marin. We did miss you both, though. But your aunt is excellent company." He winked at Zoe.

"_Oh, is Aunt Zoe still there?"_

"Hi, Marin! Yes, my car's blocked in by the snow." She chuckled. "Looks like I'm here for the duration."

Danny's voice came through the line. _"Happy birthday, Harry! What a drag, though, having a blizzard tonight."_ Marin had started to laugh.

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked, grinning. "Snowed in with two gorgeous women? What man doesn't wish that for his birthday?"

Erica hit him on the arm while the others shared a laugh. "You're horrible."

"I'm just telling it like it is, sweetheart."

When he turned that particular smile on her, her resolve always crumbled. She grinned in return and shook her head. "You two just make sure you keep warm and stay safe, okay? Danny, take care of my baby."

"_Mommm…"_ Marin groaned, while Danny answered, _"Of course I will, Erica. At least we have heat. Thank goodness for gas heat and stoves, right?"_

"Right," she said, her face softening.

"_Harry, make sure those two don't wear you out,"_ Marin said. At Danny's laughter, she said, _"Stop that; you know that's not what I meant!"_

"Don't worry, darlin'. I can keep up with them. No matter what you meant." Harry waggled his eyebrows at Erica.

"_You _are_ horrible."_ Marin's laughter mingled with her husband's over the telephone.

"Nothing you didn't already know." Harry grinned as Erica rolled her eyes at him.

"God, I hope I can make it through the storm myself with this pair," Zoe said, waving her hand at them.

"_I'm sure you'll all be fine, Aunt Zoe. At least you still have power."_

"For now," Erica added. "Baby, just be sure you call me if you need anything."

"_I've got everything I need, Mom."_

Erica knew she was looking at Danny by the tone of her voice. She smiled at the picture in her head.

"_Hey, Harry, enjoy the rest of your birthday. When this is all over, the five of us will go out on the town and celebrate it again, okay?"_

"It's a date, doll," Harry agreed, his eyes crinkled in a smile. His thumb traced circles lightly over Erica's sleeve.

"Goodnight, Marin and Danny. I love you, honey." Erica held the phone as if she wished she could reach through and hug them both.

"_Goodnight, everyone," _Danny called out. Marin followed with, _"Goodnight, Mom and Aunt Zoe. Happy birthday again, Harry!"_ before she ended the call.

"See, Erica? They're alright." Harry pressed his fingers gently into her arm, smiling softly at her.

She nodded. "I'm glad for that."

As Harry pressed the "off" button to the television finally, Zoe clapped her hands together. "So, what are we going to do? Like you said, Harry, it's still early."

Erica and Harry exchanged a glance.

"I mean, I know what you two were probably _going_ to do, and if you want, I'll leave you to it. I'll be fine on my own."

"God, Zoe," Erica said, rolling her eyes.

"What? Am I not right?" She looked from one to the other innocently.

Harry chuckled. "You might be. But we can push that back a bit, can't we, sweetheart?" He cocked his head at Erica.

"Of course we can," she said. "After all, it is _your_ birthday, Harry. What would you like to do?"

"You know," he said, placing a finger on his chin, and rubbing up and down distractedly, "it's been ages since I played cards. I mean, I used to love progressive rummy. Do either of you know how to play that?"

Zoe and Erica grinned at each other. "It's only our favorite card game," Zoe said, a mischievous look on her face.

"And we're _good_, mister," Erica said, lifting an eyebrow and grinning even wider.

"Oh, is that a challenge?" Harry raised both his brows and rubbed his hands together.

"Yes!" the sisters answered together.


	4. How it's done

"The man has a game room?" Zoe whispered to Erica as they followed behind him up another flight of stairs.

Erica shrugged. "He used to entertain a wide variety of people. Personally, I find it unnecessarily indulgent, but I'm not going to reproach him for the type of life he had before. It wouldn't be fair."

Zoe snorted. But she knew Erica to be sincere. This only added to everything Zoe marveled at regarding the budding relationship between her sister and Harry.

"I think Leo restocked the bar after the last shindig," Harry called behind him. "So there should be drinks if you gals want something."

Stopping in front of a door, Harry opened it and allowed the two sisters to precede him into the room. He surreptitiously patted Erica's behind, making her jump and turn to him with a grin.

"Make yourselves comfortable," he said, going to a corner cabinet to retrieve several decks of cards. Placing these on the fancy card table around which they sat themselves, Harry rested a hand on Erica's shoulder. "Drinks, ladies?"

"Whatcha got?" Zoe opened up the packets of cards.

Settling everyone with drinks – Scotch for Zoe and Harry, red wine for Erica – they got down to serious cards. It surprised Harry just how good the two women played, and about halfway through the lengthy game, he leaned back, eyeing them both with admiration.

"You two could give a fella a run for his money – if we were betting, that is."

Erica shuffled her cards in her hand, studying them. "Harry, stop dawdling and discard."

Chuckling, Harry flicked a card onto the discard pile and shook his head when Erica picked it up, a triumphant look on her face. "I'm playing right into your hand, aren't I?"

Her eyes bright, Erica glanced at him and then back to her hand. "You seem to be." She grinned as she discarded: one more card, and she'd be out. She felt quite smug.

At least she did until Zoe let out a "_ha!_" and clapped her hand over the card Erica had just put down. With a smirk, Zoe put her discard face down on the pile and fanned out her hand on the table in front of her. "Read 'em and weep!" she exclaimed.

Harry let out a low whistle as he examined her hand. "Damn, Zoe." He pulled the pencil and pad to him and added up the points for the hand. "Zoe's a few points ahead of you Erica, and the both of you are leaving me in the dust. It makes a man want a cigar." He tilted his head at Erica. "Would you mind too much if I had one? It's still my birthday." He pointed at the clock, which read "11:48."

Erica wrinkled her nose. "Harry, they smell so horrible. I don't see how you can smoke them." She said nothing about his heart, since she knew that he only rarely had one anymore, and even then not a whole one. She also knew that he had nearly stopped smoking them in deference to her and how she worried about his health.

"For God's sake, Erica, let the man smoke a cigar." Zoe looked at Harry, putting out an impatient hand. "You have showers? Washer and dryer?"

Trying not to laugh, Harry nodded. "I do."

"There you go, Erica. In fact, if you've got one to share, I'm feeling a bit cocky in my lead here."

Now Harry did laugh, his brows high, but he didn't flinch at this. "I think you might be feeling your third Scotch." He turned to Erica. "Is it alright if we smoke?"

Rolling her eyes, Erica put up her hands in a defeated gesture. "Two against one. Go right ahead. It's my turn to deal anyway." She began gathering the cards and couldn't help smiling when Harry leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Zoe watched as Harry got up and opened a cigar humidor he kept on the bar. "Do you have one of those in every room?" she asked incredulously.

"Nope. But games, liquor, and cigars just have always gone together in my mind. So I keep one in here. I haven't opened it in months, though." He lifted two cigars out of the box and brought them to his nose, closing his eyes appreciatively as he inhaled. "Ahhh..." he exhaled.

Erica shuffled and dealt the cards while Zoe and Harry lit their cigars. Soon they were puffing away, and the three got down to serious playing again.

Zoe and Erica were neck and neck for the next several hands, but Harry kept gaining ground, bit by bit. Somehow the cigar helped him focus – or at least that's how it seemed to Erica. And when he fanned his cards out during the last hand, stubbing out his cigar and grinning, she gazed at him in awe.

"And that, ladies, is how it's done."

"I'm impressed," Zoe said, nodding her head and finishing her fourth drink.

"So am I," Erica agreed. "Honestly, no one has even come close to beating us at this game in years."

"What can I say?" he asked, pointing at himself. "I'm a man of many and varied talents." He waggled his eyebrows at Erica, whereupon she threw back her head and began laughing.

Zoe puffed one last time on her cigar and shook her head, rolling her eyes and putting it out.

"We can leave all this for later, I think." Harry stood. "Shall we do something else now?"

Unfolding her legs out from under her and stifling a yawn against her hand, Zoe shook her head again. "Not me. I'm worn out. Point me in the direction of a bed, Harry."

Chuckling, he pulled the chair back for Erica and slipped his hand into hers. "You've got it. Follow me."

He led them along the hallway and stopped in front of a door, opening it. Gesturing, he indicated that this was where Zoe would stay.

"Best guest room." He flicked on the light and pointed things out. "There's a bathroom there, all yours, and there should be some bath products in there too, as well as clean towels, etc. Leo fitted this room up, so there's probably even a bathrobe in the closet. Television, remote –" he extracted this from a drawer – "and reading material." He waved a hand to the built in bookshelves, laden with volumes.

"This will definitely work. Thanks, Harry." She leaned over and kissed his cheek and then Erica's. "Goodnight, you two." She sent a sleepy wink her sister's way before shooing them out the door and closing it.

"Alone at last," Harry said softly, his lips curling up into that particular grin of his. His arms stole around her waist, and he bent his head to kiss her.

Erica leaned into him, kissing him back. Then, after inhaling deeply, she pulled back, grimacing.

"What's the matter?" He frowned slightly.

"The cigar smell is pungent, Harry. It's in my hair, and I can't concentrate."

Harry rubbed her back. "Well, we can't have that, can we, sweetheart?" His brow arched up.

She shook her head, beginning to grin.

"Shower?"

Biting her lip, Erica slowly nodded.

"Together?"

A blush crept up her neck and suffused her face as she nodded again.

"Saucy," he remarked as he let her go and grasped her hand, leading her to his bedroom.

Erica's eyes shone as she chuckled and tripped along behind a smirking Harry, still biting her lip.


End file.
